Dying Wish
by winchested
Summary: As Elena died in Damon's arms, she made him promise that he would return to Mystic Falls one day, the place he swore he would never return to. But Elena's memory, Damon returns and finds the next doppelganger, Zara and she is nothing like Elena OR Kat.


** I _really shouldn't start this new story when I have so many going that I haven't updated in months. But I got this idea and I had to write it even though I still have writer's block. You can probably tell because this sucks lol. Damon x OC. Damon x Elena (just this chapter). I really hope it isn't too confusing. M for later chapters and language._**

_I'm coming home  
><em>_I'm coming home  
><em>_Tell the World I'm coming home  
><em>_Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday  
><em>_I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes_

* * *

><p>One century. Ten decades. One hundred years.<p>

So much time had passed since that fateful day. So much time had passed since the day Elena Gilbert died in his arms. But he had moved on because that was her dying wish. But was there even a point? Was there a point to keep going if the woman you loved was dead. Was there a point when your own brother was dead? There was nothing on this earth that kept him from leaving besides his promise to Elena.

* * *

><p>"So, I'm going to be out of town." Damon said casually as he stood at Stefan's room's door.<p>

Both Stefan and Elena looked up at him curiously. "Where are you going?" Stefan asked.

"Out. You don't babysit me, Stef." Damon rolled his eyes at his brother.

"Then why are you telling us?" Stefan retorted.

"Because I thought it was better than just getting up and leaving. _Sorry_ for being a little considerate." Damon muttered, looking at Elena to inspect her reaction. She was surprised but wasn't saying much. Figures. He turned around and began to walk away when he heard Elena speak.

"How long will you be gone?" So she did care. No, of course she didn't. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't hurt himself by watching them together every single day. He had done his job and protected Elena until the very end. He had even stayed and helped her look for Stefan. He had made sure that Klaus was dead. It was all over. Things would go right back to the way they were. Except it wouldn't be the same thing because of everything that happened. And that's why it hurt so much.

"Long enough." Damon answered vaguely and proceeded to his room. He needed to get out as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Elena stepped into Damon's bedroom and watched him pack his clothes.<p>

"You're not coming back, are you?" Why did she have to sound hurt? Why was she doing this to him? She didn't love him. _Go back to Stefan. _He almost spit at her.

"No. Probably not." He knew that Stefan was well aware of this and he was glad that his brother wasn't intercepting.

Damon continued his packing, trying to ignore Elena creeping closer.

"What is it, Elena?" He said in a particularly irritated tone as he turned to face her.

She looked unsure of herself, biting her bottom lip.

"If you're here to stop me, you should already know that I can be more stubborn than you."

"I'm not here to stop you." She said, destroying his hope and dreams right there. "And I know why you're going." She added.

"And why is that?" Damon asked, arching his brows.

"Because of everything that I did to you, Damon. I'm sorry for all of it. I just… I wanted you to know that." She was apologizing for torturing him for years. She was apologizing for never loving him the way he loved her. Better than nothing.

Damon pressed his lips together. "What do you mean?" He didn't know if he asked that for more of an explanation or if he was just trying to keep a cover. Maybe both.

She was nervous. Even as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry for all the pain that I have caused you, Damon. You didn't deserve it."

He was speechless. He didn't know what to do. This would be the last time he would see her so he decided returning the hug wouldn't be a bad idea. "I'm sorry too, Elena." Hey, it wasn't like he was totally innocent either.

"It's okay. You know that it is." She whispered. Was she crying? He pulled away and began to wipe the tears off of her cheeks.

"Idiot. Why are you crying?" He said with a small smile.

"Why do you think, asshole?" She smiled a little too, lightly punching his arm.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before breaking out into laughter.

* * *

><p><em>Ten years later.<em>

* * *

><p>"Damon! Damon!" No… That voice was too familiar. And he wasn't even dreaming. He had said goodbye to that voice a decade ago. But someone took hold of his arm and began to pull, repeating his name in that voice.<p>

He turned his head to see _her. _"Elena?" She was older now. Obviously. She was a bit taller, her hair was shorter than he remembered it and her curves were more accentuated.

"Damon, you have to help me." There was no time to think about how the hell she had even found him. She was in trouble and that was all he could think about.

"Elena, what's going on?" He asked urgently, taking her hands and pulling her towards his car. "Where's Stefan?"

"He's gone." I froze. Stefan was gone? Gone where? "He's dead, Damon. Klaus killed him."

But Klaus was dead too. Unless someone took the dagger out. Shit. "No. No, no, no, no." Damon released Elena's hands an began to pull on his hair. His little brother was dead. How could he let this happen?

He refocused on Elena in front of him and noticed she was a little teary. "When?"

"A year ago." Elena answered. One year ago? How could that be? "I've been looking for you ever since. Once brought back to life, Klaus has to redo the ritual to awaken his wolf side." So she was back for help. She knew he couldn't say no.

"So he's after you again?" Damon confirmed, helping her into his car.

She nodded. "One more thing… There will be a new doppelganger."

Damon froze again. Boy, this day was just full of surprises. "What?"

"I had a baby, Damon." She clarified.

"_Why?" _Damon hissed.

"Klaus made me, Damon. I thought he would let Stefan go but he tricked us." Was it bad that I was wondering who the father was?

"Why are you telling me all this?" Damon furrowed his brow.

"Because I'm turning myself in." Damon slammed the breaks, ignoring the horns being blared at him.

"What do you mean, you're turning yourself in?" Why had she come then?

"Klaus will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants." Elena reminded.

"So? We'll find another way. You don't have to die." Damon told her.

"You don't understand. I want to die." She said quietly.

It grew silent then. "Damn it, Elena, then why the fuck are you here?" He glared at her.

"Because I wanted you to know. And I need your help."

"Help with what?" Damon asked, irritated.

"Promise me that you will return to Mystic Falls." She said.

"What?" I stared at her, baffled.

"Promise me." Yeah, right I was.

* * *

><p>"Elena, no!" He knew that her death was inevitable and that she had planned it but it didn't change the fact that he wanted her to live.<p>

"No, Damon." She said as he bit into his wrist. She lay in his arms, bleeding. Klaus hadn't killed her. She had tricked him. But she was still going to die in the end. She wanted to die.

"Promise me that you will live on. This doesn't have to change anything. You have to keep going. And promise me that you will go back to Mystic Falls." He couldn't say no to her dying wish.

"I promise, Elena." He bit back tears. "I love you. So much."

She smiled weakly at him. "I know, Damon. I'm sorry."

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

* * *

><p>He had swore to himself he would never return to this town. To Mystic Falls. But he had promised the woman he loved that he would. So here he was, one century later. Not much had changed, ironically enough. The buildings and neighborhoods and improved along with technology, of course, but the Mystic Grill was still there and it still seemed like the hang out of all the young folk.<p>

Damon ordered a beer and drank it slowly, taking his time to reminisce and look around. It was weird… Being back in Mystic Falls…. Again.

"Are you new around here?" A bubbly blonde sat next to him with a bright smile.

_You've got to be kidding me. Please don't tell me she's another Caroline. _How ironic.

"Sort of," Damon smiled at her. "My father just passed away and he owned the old Salvatore boardinghouse."

The girl's eyes widened. "The Salvatore Boardinghouse? Meaning… You're a Salvatore?"

"Yes, I am." He finished his drink. "Damon Salvatore."

"I'm Clarissa Donovan." Donovan? So they were still around, huh?

"Nice to meet you, Clarissa. I actually have some business to attend to now… But can I have your number? I don't really know anyone in this town… I would love it if we could have some coffee or something?" He suggested. Leaving her now would make her wonder and that's exactly what he wanted.

"Sure!" She said, taking a pen out and writing her number on his hand.

"Great. I'll see soon." Damon smiled at her before walking towards the exit and right into Elena.

Wait… Elena? This couldn't be Elena. Elena was dead. Katherine. Her hair was curly like Katherine's but her eyes… They weren't Katherine's cold eyes but they weren't Elena's warm ones.

Holy shit… Was this why Elena wanted him to come back. Was the next doppelganger standing right before him?

"Watch where you're going, asshole." She glared at him before shoving past him.

Damon blinked. She had more fire in her than Elena did.

He turned around and watched her sit down at a booth. This was a total shock. He had no idea what he should even do. He watched as Clarissa made her way towards this girl's table.

"_Why don't you be a little nicer to new people in town? It's not like we get them all the time, Zara." _Zara…

"_Why don't you mind your own business and fuck off? You're only giving a shit because you want to get laid, slut." _Whoa. This girl wasn't Elena or Katherine, that was for sure.

And Damon was sure as hell going to figure out who exactly she was.


End file.
